1 River Row

This is a two-storey, double-fronted house in a terrace, built between 1852 and 1861. It is part of an early group of industrial dwellings at Abercanaid, originally comprising seven terraces facing east between the river and canal. The houses were likely built by the Plymouth Iron Company to house workers at the Abercanaid Pit and Pentrebach Forge.

The houses, though relatively small, were generously sized for their time, resembling those at the now-demolished Triangle, Pentrebach. They are narrower than earlier worker housing, with roof spans of 4-5 metres, and were built without rear extensions, as they had access paths to both the front and back. The original plan featured a central passageway and a rear staircase. As built, the houses were of rubble stone construction with small-paned sash windows, slate roofs, and stone chimneys, with stone voussoirs around the openings on both floors. The facades were slightly offset to accommodate larger kitchen chimneys, creating mirrored pairs. Front or rear gardens were accessed via a footpath running along the terrace line.

The original rear walls were of rubble stone, featuring one small door and a pantry window below on one side, along with a small upper window. Number 1, the end terrace house, has been altered with 20th-century windows and door with overlight, concrete tiles, and a rubble stone rear wall. Sash windows were still present in 1975. The houses backing onto gardens (Nos 70-81 Nightingale Street) have generally been extended to the rear, while the others retain their original depth.